A Massive Blizzard Blanketed Pittsburgh In Snow In 1993 And It Will Never Be Forgotten

Pittsburgh’s had its fair share of memorable snow storms over the years, like the Big Snow of 1950 that dumped 27.5 inches of snow in the city and beyond over Thanksgiving weekend. Now, however, let’s journey a little less further back in time to the Blizzard of ’93 in Pittsburgh that left the city at a standstill – except, of course, for one annual tradition.

The snow - of what would from then on be known as the Storm of the Century and the Superstorm - began to fall across Pittsburgh the evening of March 12, 1993, on the eve of the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade.

The parade - the only one on the East Coast not to cancel - marched on, albeit, to a much smaller crowd than normal. All of the local high school marching bands, in fact, canceled their performance due to the hazardous conditions.

That the parade continued in blizzard conditions lead to both city officials - and some residents - questioning just who should determine when an event should be canceled, the event organizers or the city.

When all was said and done, Pittsburgh had set a record for the most snowfall in a 24 hour period with 23.6 inches. Meteorologists also earned accolades as the Blizzard of '93 was the first storm that had been predicted with accurate five days before the snow fell.